Review: Derren Brown – Miracle at Mayflower Theatre, Southampton

James George

THIS WEEK IN 1975: Props consortium could save groups

It’s very difficult to review a show when the star of that show has placed a reporting embargo on both press and public – which is exactly what Derren Brown does in the first minutes of his latest show!

And rightly so.

If any of the content of Miracle were leaked into the public domain it would not, of course, be the end of the world, but to preserve the enjoyment of future audiences, I’m more than happy to withhold Mr Brown’s secrets.

I can say that the show demonstrates Brown’s skills in psychology, people-reading and people-management superbly.

The first half – pretty much Brown’s usual stock-in-trade – is priming the audience nicely for the second-half – an interesting, cynical, funny and often disturbing exploration of Evangelical spiritual-healing.

The joy of the show is that it doesn’t rely on the mechanics of magic (although Mr Brown is not averse to the odd conjuring-trick, here) but springs entirely from the power of suggestion and, perhaps more importantly, the power of belief.

What’s particularly pleasing about this show is that Brown, ever the charming, genial host, ends the show by gifting every member of the audience with their own slice of his uplifting philosophy.